TheNCISfranchise has had several team leaders over its multi-decade-long run, but only one can be proclaimed the best. Since its premiere in 2003, after its backdoor pilot inJAG,NCIShas grown to feature several spinoffs, most of which take place alongside the flagship series in theNCISuniverse. While most of theNCISspinoffshave been canceled, the franchise continues to grow with its latest spinoffs,NCIS: Sydney,NCIS: Origins, andNCIS: Tony And Ziva, all having upcoming seasons in the 2025/2026 season.
As each spinoff has featured a new and more exciting premise than the last one, its leaders have also featured notable differences, either shrinking or aiding the growth of their team’s progress in each series. While all team leaders inNCIShave their merits, they also have their faults. As a result, some characters created better leaders than others in the franchise.
10Hollace Kilbride
NCIS: Los Angeles Seasons 6-14
Kilbride was a good team leader and an adequate replacement for Hetty, who could no longer manage the team, but he had too many faults to consider him great.He first appeared inNCIS: Los Angelesas a recurring guest staras a retired U.S. Navy Admiral. However, near the end of the show, he was promoted to the Operations Manager of the Office of Special Projects.
Kilbride was only a leader for a short time, so we never got to see him shine in the role. He also changed the team too much from what it was like with Hetty. The dynamics changed and the team’s role seemed to change as well. As a result, he remains low on the list.
9Owen Granger
NCIS: Los Angeles Seasons 3-8
Granger could have been great, buthe started off as an unlikable character. A team leader needs to be strong, dependable, trustworthy, and likable enough. However, Granger started off as an untrustworthy character, and as a result, it took time for the team to start to like him.
Granger was also only a leader for a short timerelative to Hetty and could never live up to her character. He made for a great team member and had great scenes, but as a leader, he fell a little flat. As a result, he is also low on the list but not in last place.
8Michelle Mackey
NCIS: Sydney Season 1 To Present
Olivia Swann’s Mackey has strong potential to become a great leader, but she is not there yet.NCIS: Sydneyis still a relatively new show andlittle is known about Mackey. The show typically focuses more on cases and less on personal details, butNCIS: Sydneyseason 2 had a huge Mackey revealwhich opened up her character a bit more.
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Mackey is also a little more closed offthan some of these other leaders. That is not necessarily bad, but as a new leader, it does not give her much room to be ranked any higher. With time, Mackey has the potential to move up, but currently, she remains low on the list.
7Alden Parker
NCIS Season 19 To Present
Parker is a fantastic leader because he does not try to replicate Gibbs. WhenParker replaced Gibbs inNCISseason 19,his change of leadership was refreshingbecause he maintained a good rapport with the team without trying to overshadow Gibbs' legacy. Since his arrival, Parker has grown with the team, which is always nice to see.
Parker is also a very relaxed, laissez-faire type of leader.He is kind and fairand is overall a great team leader. The only reason he is so slow is that some of the other characters have a large legacy behind them, which makes it hard for newer leaders to outshine the old stars.
6Mike Franks
NCIS: Origins Season 1 To Present
Mike Franks is arguably one of the bestNCIS: Originscharacters, which makes him a strong contender for bestNCISleader, too. He is incredibly likable and trustworthy, andhe has his team’s back. His emotional support towards Gibbs is particularly noteworthy because it shows that Franks knows when to be tough and when to soften up.
…Franks knows when to be tough and when to soften up.
While Franks is aniconicNCIScharacter,the version of him as a leader inNCIS: Originsis still relatively new.NCIS: Originshas dived deep into his character, but he has a lot to compare himself against in terms of olderNCISleaders. AsNCIS: Originscontinues to grow, I have no doubt that he will rise on this list.
5Dwayne Cassius Pride
NCIS: New Orleans Seasons 1-7
Pride is one of the most iconic characters inNCIS: New Orleansand in the franchise as a whole. His legacy as the only leader throughout the show’s seven seasons gives him a special kind of status. Pride was also a tough leader who would stop at nothing to protect his city, something that was very admirable.
Despite Pride’s legacy, he could be too stubborn at times, which ultimately lowered his score. Rather than consistently follow protocol and trust his team, there were many times throughoutNCIS: New Orleansthat Pride would overstep his boundaries as an agent or do things his own way. That can be exciting as an occasional characteristic, but it happened too often to consider Pride the bestNCISleader.
4Jane Tennant
NCIS: Hawai’i Seasons 1-3
Tennant is not only one of the bestNCISteam leaders, but she also features some of the best storylines. From the beginning,Tennant began as a well-rounded character. While some otherNCISshows need time to figure out their characters, Tennant started strong from the start. Her rapport with her team and her excellent investigation skills are also notable.
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I believe that Tennant could have become an even greater leader if the show was given another season. WhenCBS canceledNCIS: Hawai’i,the show ended on a cliffhanger for Tennant, leaving several mysteries unanswered. The show’s premature cancelation removed the potential for Tennant to rise up the ranks as the best leader, but her appearances throughout seasons 1-3 cemented her as one of the more memorable ones.
3Henrietta “Hetty” Lange
NCIS: Los Angeles Seasons 1-14
Linda Hunt’s Hetty Langis practically certified as one of the best characters in theNCISfranchise. She is also one of the best leaders. Without her,NCIS: Los Angeleswould be noticeably different, and it was when she had a reduced role in the later seasons.Hetty blended her spy skills perfectly to fit within the needs of theNCIS: Los Angelesoffice, allowing her team to flourish.
It was particularly sad when she quietly limited her appearances in the show and Kilbride took over her role.Hetty had such a complex backgroundthat she brought so much life to theNCISspinoff. Her connections to otherNCIScharacters, including Vance, also set her up as an interesting leader who knew how to be resourceful.
2G. Callen
G. Callen is without a doubt one of the best team leaders in theNCISfranchise.He is an incredibly complex character, maybe even the most complex one. As he struggled to discover more of his past and his identity, he did not let it interfere with his team’s missions, making him a loyal and reliable character, even with all of his baggage.
Given Callen’s complexities, it is also hard to imagineNCIS: Los Angeles without him. Like Hetty,he was a strong motivation for the team. He also worked hard to protect the ones he loved. Callen may have had some faults, but they do not outshine his incredible leadership, making him the second-bestNCISteam leader.
1Leroy Jethro Gibbs
NCIS Leader From Seasons 1-19
Last but not least is Gibbs, the certified bestNCISleader.Without Gibbs, there would be noNCISfranchiseat all, and we would not have been able to see incredible characters like Callen, Hetty, and Tennant come to life. Gibbs was tough but fair and had a strict moral code. While he would bend the rules from time to time, he always prioritized his team’s safety and would rather put himself at risk than others.
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He was also a complex character, like Callen, and used his personal tragedies to propel him forward. Moreover, Gibbs was a great role model and had a lot of respect for the members of his team, even as they continuously changed. With Gibbs having almost 20 years of history onNCIS, his leadership is tough to beat since he remains memorable even after so much time has passed.
NCIS
TheNCISfranchise is an American media franchise that focuses on military-related criminal investigations by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It began withNCISin 2003, a spin-off fromJAG, and has since expanded to include multiple spin-offs set across different locations.
